It’s taken far too long for one of the finest children’s television programmes of the 1980s to make its journey to DVD, but thanks to this superb six-disc set, all 39 episodes of The Mysterious Cities Of Gold are finally available. And time has been very kind to it. Don’t remember it? Then at the very least, the theme tune is bound to stick (it’s easily one of the best title tracks ever). But if you’re one of the many who were charmed by this ambitious, epic adventure, then the return of The Mysterious Cities Of Gold will be very good news indeed. Set in the 1532, it follows Esteban on his search to find out the truth about his father, and also on the epic quest to find the cities of the show’s title. Joined by Zia and Tao, and fighting against Gomez and Gaspard, it’s a weaving, engrossing story, that fully justifies its sizeable running time.
What’s more, The Mysterious Cities Of Gold holds up incredibly well. The animation may look a little dated, but it harks back to a time in the 1980s when ambitious programmes such as these were filling the childrens’ TV schedules. And this was the best of the lot. With a darkness and edge that you simply wouldn’t expect, it’s a gripping tale, expertly told.
Further icing the cake, the DVD set that The Mysterious Cities Of Gold arrives on is nothing short of majestic, bursting with interesting features and a real care and attention that befits the programme itself. Which goes to make this collection something really very special indeed, not only bringing back a genuine classic from the archives, but doing it with a style that others would do well to match. Brilliant. --Simon Brew